« American Foreign Policy: Time for a Change? Part VII | Home
Liberation Theology: What Happened in Latin America? Part VII
By jbcobb | July 7, 2011
Nicaragua
Arguably the most powerful display of the political influence of liberation theology took place in Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. It also represents the zenith of the movement as a force for change in Latin America, which quickly ended and signaled its immediate decline. The direct involvement of Catholic clergy in a socialist revolution, to include the appointment to high-level political offices in a revolutionary government, exemplified the dangerous blurring of the demarcation between the goal of ministering to the poor and dispossessed and the melding of church and state to achieve social justice.
In response to the Second Vatican Council, progressive clergy in Nicaragua were quick to begin organizing ecclesial base communities to take a more active role in the transformation of Church theology in the country (Wilson, 2009, p. 212). The earliest proponent of the communities was Father Ernesto Cardenal, who wished to incorporate Marxist analysis into the new theology, and was “particularly inspired by the accomplishments of Fidel Castro” (Wilson, 2009, p. 122). These community churches grew and became more active with the growing anger at the Somoza regime, which continued to pilfer any wealth created by the country’s workers (Wilson 2009, pp. 122-123). Growing dissatisfaction among the young and poor led to growing numbers of protests against the government led many in the lower-ranking members of the clergy, including Cardenal, to ultimately support the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN), or Sandinistas (Wilson 2009, p. 123).
Even though more moderate elements within the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua had condemned the Somoza regime, the organization stopped short of supporting the preparations for armed revolt, which were carried out through the cooperation of the base communities and the FSLN (Wilson, 2009, p. 123). Unfortunately, the official Church’s position left them open to reprisals from both the governmental assets of the Somoza regime and the revolutionary rebels being supported by the more radical clergy and laity. Ultimately, the Somoza regime was forced out of power because the vast majority of the population had grown weary of the oppression and the government had lost the support of anti-communist Western powers.
The new Sandinista government was quick to reward the radical wing of the Church, and appointed several of the most active leaders to powerful posts: Miguel d’Escoto as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Cardenal as Minister of Culture, Hernando Cardenal as Minister of Education, and Edgard Parralles as Ambassador to the Organization of American States (Lantigua, 1985). However, the majority of the Church hierarchy, reinforced with the call for additional priests by the Pope, and a large percentage of the faithful remained opposed to the Sandinista government.
In order to suppress rebellion among the devout who opposed a government of atheist philosophy, the Ortega government initiated a brutal regime of attacks on protestant churches, the only Jewish synagogue, and other non-liberation sects, especially the Miskito communities (Wilson 2009, p. 128). The master stroke of anti-religious activity was leveled against the Roman Catholic Church by helping to create an opposing congregation of liberation faithful, known as the “Popular Church”, and the closing of the Catholic radio station (Wilson 2009, p. 128). Continued oppression of freedoms by the government eventually led many former followers of the liberation ideology to return to the traditional churches and to support Pope John Paul II’s condemnation of communists, and to back the American supported Contras. The Sandinista regime lost support of the religious community, the ecclesial community churches decreased in popularity, and ultimately a more conservative coalition government was elected in 1990 (Wilson 2009, p. 130).
The liberation movement played a large role in the Sandinista revolution and government, but was unable to affect changes in the governmental structures to bring solace to the impoverished. The progressive theologians were not only unsuccessful in achieving their primary goals, but also supported an oppressive regime which killed nuns, priests, and many of the faithful. The progressives have never garnered such great influence since that time, and the scars which remain from the Sandinista experiment will probably dampen the future possibilities of liberation theology.
Conclusion
The examples of the use of liberation theology in Argentina and Nicaragua are affected in identifying the problems of a progressive political philosophy intertwined with Christian principles. Ultimately, the teachings of Christ are necessarily moderated to achieve political ends. It is difficult to understand the Christian, or even social justice, worth of politicians like Peron and Ortega. It is quite obvious that such political figures, and the revolutionary governments they seek to create, utilize persons, organizations, or beliefs, when they are useful. They are just as quickly discarded. Additionally, it is not only Christian principles which are pushed aside, but also the ideas of social justice, equality, democracy, and even Marxist socialism. Populist movements rarely are pure theoretical manifestations of any ideology, and are often prone to shift focus when expedient. Therefore, liberation theologies, and other altruistic belief systems, are doomed to failure once they become part of the sausage-making of governance, and even more so if utilized in violent revolutionary struggles.
The wane of liberation theology from its zenith in the 1970s has been largely a result of its shortcomings in praxis. Ultimately, the popularity of a social movement based on claims to have solutions for poverty and political oppression depends on its success to that end. The failure to deliver social justice has limited its appeal. The additional factors of Latin American acceptance of globalization and free markets, the collapse of communism, and the rejection of centralized governmental economic planning as a development strategy, has added to the marginalization of a once powerful force in Central and South American society.
References
Berryman, P. E. (1973). Latin American liberation theology. On the Marquette University Theological Studies website. Retrieved from http://www.ts.mu.edu/content/34/34.3/34.3.1.pdf.
Biography of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (n.d.). On the official Vatican website. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/biography/documents/hf_ben-xvi_bio_20050419_short-biography_en.html.
Cleary, E. L. (1985). Crisis and change: the Church in Latin America today. New York: Orbis Books. Retrieved from http://www.domcentral.org/library/cleary_books/crisis/crisis01.htm.
Czajkoski, C. J. (2003). The roots of liberation theology in El Salvador. Article is located on the Wheeling Jesuit University website. Retrieved from http://www.wju.edu/faculty/cardinalperspectives/czajkoski03_04.pdf.
Dulles, A. (2003). Vatican II: the myth and reality. America magazine: the national Catholic weekly. Retrieved from http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2810.
Gutierrez, G. (2010). A theology of liberation: history, politics, and salvation: revised edition with a new introduction. Maryknoll: Orbis Books.
Hillar, M. (1993). Liberation theology: religious response to social problems. a survey. On the Center for Socinian Studies website. Retrieved from http://www.socinian.org/liberty.html.
Lakeland, P. (1986). Process and revolution: Hegel, Whitehead, and liberation theology. Process Studies, pp. 265-274, Vol. 15, Number 4, Winter, 1986.
Lantigua, J. (1985). Nicaraguan begins protest fast. On Chicago Tribune website. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-07-09/news/8502140326_1_sandinista-policy-of-state-terrorism-culture-minister- ernesto-cardenal.
Medellin documents (1968). On the Loyola University College of Law website. Retrieved from http://law.loyno.edu/~quigley/Class/classjusticepeace.pdf.
Pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world (1965). On the Vatican online site. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html.
Skidmore, T. E., Smith, P. H., & Green, J. N. (2010). Modern Latin America, Seventh Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Smith, C. (1991). The emergence of liberation theology: radical religion and social movement theory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Soares, J. (2009). A future for liberation theology? Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 20, 480–486.
Wilson, J. P. (2009). Church, state, and society during the Nicaraguan revolution. Dialogos Latinoamericanos, 16, 115-135.
Topics: Foreign Policy, International Relations, Diplomacy, and Wars, Society, Cultural Issues, and Miscellaneous | No Comments »